Justices of the Supreme Court
Updated: August 2010
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.
Residence: Chevy Chase, Md.
Born: Jan. 27, 1955; Buffalo, N.Y.
Religion: Roman Catholic
Family: Wife, Jane Marie Sullivan Roberts; two children
Education: Harvard U., A.B. 1976, J.D. 1979
Military Service: None
Occupation: Lawyer
Experience: D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, 2003-05
Confirmation: President Bush announced July 19, 2005, that Roberts would replace retiring Justice O'Connor; however, when Chief Justice Rehnquist died on Sept. 3, 2005, the president then nominated Roberts as chief justice. Roberts was officially nominated as chief justice Sept. 6, 2005, by George W. Bush to succeed William H. Rehnquist and confirmed as chief justice Sept. 29, 2005, by a yea-nay vote of 78-22.
Telephone: 202-479-3000 | Web: www.supremecourtus.gov
Supreme Court of the United States | One First St., N.E. | Washington, D.C. 20543
Supreme Court of the United States | One First St., N.E. | Washington, D.C. 20543
Samuel A. Alito Jr.
Residence: New Jersey
Born: April 1, 1950; Trenton, N.J.
Religion:
Family: Wife, Martha-Ann Bomgardner; two children
Education: Princeton U., A.B. 1972; Yale U., J.D. 1975
Military Service: None
Occupation: Lawyer; federal prosecutor
Experience: Assistant U.S. attorney, 1977-80; U.S. attorney, 1987-90; U.S. Court of Appeals 1990-present
Confirmation: Nominated Nov. 10, 2005 by George Bush to succeed Sandra Day O'Connor and confirmed Jan. 30, 2006, by a yea-nay vote of 58-42.
Telephone: 202-479-3000 | Web: www.supremecourtus.gov
Supreme Court of the United States | One First St., N.E. | Washington, D.C. 20543
Supreme Court of the United States | One First St., N.E. | Washington, D.C. 20543
Stephen G. Breyer
Residence: Cambridge, Mass.
Born: August 15, 1938; San Francisco, Calif.
Religion: Jewish
Family: Wife, Joanna Hare; three children
Education: Stanford U., A.B. 1959; Oxford U., B.A. 1961; Harvard U., LL.B. 1964
Military Service: None
Occupation: Law clerk; lawyer; professor; congressional aide
Experience: U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, 1981-94 (chief judge, 1990-94)
Confirmation: Nominated May 13, 1994, by Bill Clinton to succeed Harry A. Blackmun and confirmed July 29, 1994, by a yea-nay vote of 87-9.
Telephone: 202-479-3000 | Web: www.supremecourtus.gov
Supreme Court of the United States | One First St., N.E. | Washington, D.C. 20543
Supreme Court of the United States | One First St., N.E. | Washington, D.C. 20543
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Residence: Washington, D.C.
Born: March 15, 1933; Brooklyn, N.Y.
Religion: Jewish
Education: Cornell U., A.B. 1954; Harvard U., 1956-58; Columbia U., LL.B.,J.D. 1959
Family: Husband, Martin Ginsburg; two children
Military Service: None
Occupation: Lawyer; law professor
Experience: U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, 1980-93
Confirmation: Nominated June 14, 1993, by Bill Clinton to succeed Byron White and confirmed August 3, 1993, by a yea-nay vote of 96-3.
Telephone: 202-479-3000 | Web: www.supremecourtus.gov
Supreme Court of the United States | One First St., N.E. | Washington, D.C. 20543
Supreme Court of the United States | One First St., N.E. | Washington, D.C. 20543
Anthony M. Kennedy
Residence: Sacramento, Calif.
Born: July 23, 1936; Sacramento, Calif.
Religion: Roman Catholic
Family: Wife, Mary Davis; three children
Education: Stanford U., A.B. 1958; Harvard U., J.D. 1961
Military Service: National Guard, 1961
Occupation: Lawyer; professor
Experience: 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, 1976-88
Confirmation: Nominated Nov. 30, 1987, by Ronald Reagan to succeed Lewis F. Powell Jr., and confirmed Feb. 3, 1988, by a yea-nay vote of 97-0.
Telephone: 202-479-3000 | Web: www.supremecourtus.gov
Supreme Court of the United States | One First St., N.E. | Washington, D.C. 20543
Supreme Court of the United States | One First St., N.E. | Washington, D.C. 20543
Antonin Scalia
Residence: McLean, Va.
Born: March 11, 1936; Trenton, N.J.
Religion: Roman Catholic
Family: Wife, Maureen McCarthy; nine children
Education: U. of Fribourg (Switzerland); Georgetown U., A.B. 1957; Harvard U., LL.B. 1960
Military Service: None
Occupation: Lawyer; professor
Experience: Office of Telecommunications Policy general counsel, 1971-72; assistant U.S. attorney general, 1974-77; U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, 1982-86
Confirmation: Nominated June 24, 1986, by Ronald Reagan to succeed William H. Rehnquist and confirmed Sept. 17, 1986, by a yea-nay vote of 98-0.
Telephone: 202-479-3000 | Web: www.supremecourtus.gov
Supreme Court of the United States | One First St., N.E. | Washington, D.C. 20543
Supreme Court of the United States | One First St., N.E. | Washington, D.C. 20543
David H. Souter
Residence: Weare, N.H.
Born: September 17, 1939; Melrose, Mass.
Religion: Episcopalian
Family: Single
Education: Harvard U., A.B. 1961; Oxford U., 1961-63; Harvard U., LL.B. 1966; Oxford U., A.B. 1989, M.A. 1989
Military Service: None
Occupation: Lawyer
Experience: N.H. assistant attorney general, 1968-71; N.H. deputy attorney general, 1971-76; N.H. attorney general, 1976-78; N.H. Superior Court, 1978-83; N.H. Supreme Court, 1983-90; 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, 1990
Confirmation: Nominated July 25, 1990, by George Bush to succeed William J. Brennan Jr., and confirmed Oct. 2, 1990, by a yea-nay vote of 90-9.
Telephone: 202-479-3000 | Web: www.supremecourtus.gov
Supreme Court of the United States | One First St., N.E. | Washington, D.C. 20543
Supreme Court of the United States | One First St., N.E. | Washington, D.C. 20543
John Paul Stevens
Residence: Chicago, Ill.
Born: April 20, 1920; Chicago, Ill.
Religion: Protestant
Family: Wife, Maryan Mulholland Simon; four children
Education: U. of Chicago, A.B. 1941; Northwestern U., J.D. 1947
Military Service: Naval Reserve, 1942-45
Occupation: Lawyer; law instructor
Experience: U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, 1970-75
Confirmation: Nominated Nov. 28, 1975, by Gerald R. Ford to succeed William O. Douglas and confirmed Dec. 17, 1975, by a yea-nay vote of 98-0.
Telephone: 202-479-3000 | Web: www.supremecourtus.gov
Supreme Court of the United States | One First St., N.E. | Washington, D.C. 20543
Supreme Court of the United States | One First St., N.E. | Washington, D.C. 20543
Clarence Thomas
Residence: Savannah, Ga.
Born: June 23, 1948; Savannah, Ga.
Religion: Roman Catholic
Family: Wife, Virginia Lamp; one child
Education: College of the Holy Cross, A.B. 1971; Yale U., J.D. 1974
Military Service: None.
Occupation: Congressional aide; lawyer
Experience: Mo. assistant attorney general, 1974-77; assistant secretary of Education, 1981-82 (for civil rights); Equal Employment Opportunity Commission chairman, 1982-90; U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, 1990-91
Confirmation: Nominated July 1, 1991, by George Bush to succeed Thurgood Marshall and confirmed Oct. 15, 1991, by a yea-nay vote of 52-48.
Telephone: 202-479-3000 | Web: www.supremecourtus.gov
Supreme Court of the United States | One First St., N.E. | Washington, D.C. 20543
Supreme Court of the United States | One First St., N.E. | Washington, D.C. 20543
Sonia Sotomayor
